WHAT WERE POPULAR FORMS OF HAIRSTYLES, CLOTHING, MEN’S and WOMEN'S FASHION, AND CHILDREN'S FASHION IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND? HOW WERE THESE DIFFERENT IN URBAN/RURAL LIFE? HOW WERE THESE DIFFERENT IN NOBLE/MERCHANT/COMMON LIFE?
Answer prepared by: Sara Miller
Influenced by Queen Elizabeth, overall fashion during the Elizabethan Era was elaborate and extravagant. While the upper class wore precious jewels, gems, and fabrics, the lower class used cheaper materials and accessories to achieve a similar look. Hairstyles were likewise a sign of class and wealth. With the upper class pinning their hair up high to portray a high forehead and adding jewels and crowns to make the look more royal, the lower classes simplified the look with a simple hat or scarf. Both the upper class and lower class tried to “dress to impress.”
The most recognized aspect of Elizabethan England was the stunning clothing, specifically the dresses and gowns. "Bright colours, elaborate trimmings, and excessive padding are the most notable characteristics of Elizabethan dress," says Amanda Mabillard in "Clothing in Elizabethan England." While many gowns were created in bright colors, more common gown colors included “horseflesh”, “puke brown”, and “goose-turd green”, according to "Life in Elizabethan London: Elizabethan Fashion"(46). Elizabethan fashion was influenced by geometric shapes, rather than the natural shape of the body. Women wanted a small waist, but also an exaggerated lower body and arms, in an attempt to take on a triangular shape with a point at the waist. The high fashion of the Elizabethan upper class is present in the dresses and clothing in the 21st century; by the use of geometric shapes in modern society, we similarly create a look that we desire based upon the shape of our body.
In an effort to fit in with the nobility’s remarkable looks, the lower class created simplified versions of these outfits and gowns. While many lower class Elizabethans would have loved to wear gold cloth and other prestigious fabrics and gems, it was illegal because of the sumptuary laws. These laws helped keep defined classes, allowing only the noblest in society to wear gold cloth and silk, and only allowing the lower classes to wear materials such as wool and linen, according to "Elizabethan Era: Cltohing allowed for Women." However, using these laws as guidelines and simplifying the upper classes, the lower classes still attempted to wear as lavish clothing as possible.
One defining aspect of Elizabethan England was the elegant hairstyles. Specifically, the upper class went to extreme measures to achieve the most stunning looks. Hair color was one symbol of class, and the upper class tried to achieve a reddish-gold color. To achieve this color, they used several different chemicals in a multi-step process before an event, according to Gail B. Stewart in Elizabethan England: Life in Elizabethan England (52). For women of the time, a high forehead was also a well-desired look. Extreme measures were taken, such as shaving the first inch or two of hair on the forehead or thinning out the hair and eyebrows. When women put an up do in their hair, they commonly pinned it to the top of their head to achieve the aristocratic high forehead look, described by the website "Elizabethan Era: Elizabethan Hair Styles". Another popular look was to be pale, achieved by wearing head garments to help prevent the sun from contacting the woman's face, says Stewart. While the upper class had the materials and time to create elaborate hairstyles, the lower class tried to follow along with more basic styles. For example, instead of the lower class pinning jewels or crowns into their hairstyles, they simply wore a hat or a scarf. Evidently, the hairstyles of the 16th century were considered the most creative and innovative of the time.
As we look back on the Elizabethan times we see an extreme difference between classes. From the chic fashion to grand hairstyles, and from the desired high forehead of an upper class woman to the geometric shapes which created dresses and gowns, one cannot underestimate the outstanding creativity and innovation of Elizabethan costume. Works Cited Authors, Various. Shakespeare's England An Account Of The Life And Manners Of His Age (Volume II). Great Britain: Oxford (Clarendon Press), 1966. Print.
Bridges, Stefanie L., and Shandy S. Granger. "Women's Fashions." SpringfieldPublic
WHAT WERE POPULAR FORMS OF HAIRSTYLES, CLOTHING, MEN’S and WOMEN'S FASHION, AND CHILDREN'S FASHION IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND? HOW WERE THESE DIFFERENT IN URBAN/RURAL LIFE? HOW WERE THESE DIFFERENT IN NOBLE/MERCHANT/COMMON LIFE?
Answer prepared by: Sara Miller
Influenced by Queen Elizabeth, overall fashion during the Elizabethan Era was elaborate and extravagant. While the upper class wore precious jewels, gems, and fabrics, the lower class used cheaper materials and accessories to achieve a similar look. Hairstyles were likewise a sign of class and wealth. With the upper class pinning their hair up high to portray a high forehead and adding jewels and crowns to make the look more royal, the lower classes simplified the look with a simple hat or scarf. Both the upper class and lower class tried to “dress to impress.”
The most recognized aspect of Elizabethan England was the stunning clothing, specifically the dresses and gowns. "Bright colours, elaborate trimmings, and excessive padding are the most notable characteristics of Elizabethan dress," says Amanda Mabillard in "Clothing in Elizabethan England." While many gowns were created in bright colors, more common gown colors included “horseflesh”, “puke brown”, and “goose-turd green”, according to "Life in Elizabethan London: Elizabethan Fashion"(46). Elizabethan fashion was influenced by geometric shapes, rather than the natural shape of the body. Women wanted a small waist, but also an exaggerated lower body and arms, in an attempt to take on a triangular shape with a point at the waist. The high fashion of the Elizabethan upper class is present in the dresses and clothing in the 21st century; by the use of geometric shapes in modern society, we similarly create a look that we desire based upon the shape of our body.
In an effort to fit in with the nobility’s remarkable looks, the lower class created simplified versions of these outfits and gowns. While many lower class Elizabethans would have loved to wear gold cloth and other prestigious fabrics and gems, it was illegal because of the sumptuary laws. These laws helped keep defined classes, allowing only the noblest in society to wear gold cloth and silk, and only allowing the lower classes to wear materials such as wool and linen, according to "Elizabethan Era: Cltohing allowed for Women." However, using these laws as guidelines and simplifying the upper classes, the lower classes still attempted to wear as lavish clothing as possible.
One defining aspect of Elizabethan England was the elegant hairstyles. Specifically, the upper class went to extreme measures to achieve the most stunning looks. Hair color was one symbol of class, and the upper class tried to achieve a reddish-gold color. To achieve this color, they used several different chemicals in a multi-step process before an event, according to Gail B. Stewart in Elizabethan England: Life in Elizabethan England (52). For women of the time, a high forehead was also a well-desired look. Extreme measures were taken, such as shaving the first inch or two of hair on the forehead or thinning out the hair and eyebrows. When women put an up do in their hair, they commonly pinned it to the top of their head to achieve the aristocratic high forehead look, described by the website "Elizabethan Era: Elizabethan Hair Styles". Another popular look was to be pale, achieved by wearing head garments to help prevent the sun from contacting the woman's face, says Stewart. While the upper class had the materials and time to create elaborate hairstyles, the lower class tried to follow along with more basic styles. For example, instead of the lower class pinning jewels or crowns into their hairstyles, they simply wore a hat or a scarf. Evidently, the hairstyles of the 16th century were considered the most creative and innovative of the time.
As we look back on the Elizabethan times we see an extreme difference between classes. From the chic fashion to grand hairstyles, and from the desired high forehead of an upper class woman to the geometric shapes which created dresses and gowns, one cannot underestimate the outstanding creativity and innovation of Elizabethan costume.
Works Cited
Authors, Various. Shakespeare's England An Account Of The Life And Manners Of His
Age (Volume II). Great Britain: Oxford (Clarendon Press), 1966. Print.
Bridges, Stefanie L., and Shandy S. Granger. "Women's Fashions." Springfield Public
"Elizabethan Clothing." Elizabethan Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.
<http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-clothing.htm>.
"Elizabethan Clothing & Fashion - Men." Elizabethan Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-clothing-fashion-men.htm>.
"Elizabethan Hairstyles." Elizabethan Era England Life,Facts,Elizabethan
Times,Religion,Costumes,Education,Theatre. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-hairstyles.html>.
"Elizabethan Hair Styles." Elizabethan Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-hair-styles.htm>.
"Elizabethan . N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2010. <http://www.elizabethan-
era.org.uk/elizabethan-clothing-allowed-women.htm>.
Mabillard, Amanda. "Clothing in Elizabethan England." Shakespeare Online. N.p., n.d.
Web. 4 Apr. 2010. <http://www.shakespeare-
online.com/biography/elizabethanclothes
Singman, Jeffrey L.. Daily Life in Elizabethan England (The Greenwood Press Daily LifeThrough History Series). New York: Greenwood Press, 1995. Print.
Schools - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2010. http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/sc
Stewart, Gail B.. Elizabethan England: Life in Elizabethan England. Farmington Hills,
MI: Thomson Gale, 2003. Print.
Publishing, Dk. Shakespeare (DK Eyewitness Books). New York: DK CHILDREN, 2004.
Print.